James Fairweather convicted of Colchester murders

April 2016 has seen murderer James Fairweather convicted for murdering James Attfield and Nahid Almanea in two brutal attacks in Colchester during 2014.

Fairweather, who had previously been unnamed due to his age, admitted murdering the pair in unprovoked attacks. James Attfield was stabbed over 100 times by Fairweather who claimed that voices in his head told him to carry out the murder. He was arrested by police after being found hiding in a bush planning a third attack. It was thanks to a vigilent member of the public that the town could finally rest as James Fairweather was convicted.

Fairweather, who suffers from autism and claims to be suffering from psychosis at the time, will be sentenced on 29th April 2016 at the Old Bailey. He is expected to receive a minimum 12-year sentence, due to his age at the time he committed the offence.

He was also found guilty of possessing a bladed article in a public place.

After the verdict, Assistant Chief Constable Steve Worron of Essex Police said: “Fairweather admitted killing James and Nahid but denied their murder was calculated and pre-planned. He then forced their families to endure the pain and grief of a trial, rather than admitting that he had murdered them.”